By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syrian regime forces claim to have taken full control of the city of Yabroud along the border with Lebanon. Yabroud was a critical stronghold for opposition forces, used as a strategic supply chain for bringing weapons and other supplies into Syria from Lebanon. Regime forces claim to have taken control of the city with the support of Lebanese Hezbollah fighters who are supporters of the Assad regime.

The fall of Yabroud came on the eve of Third anniversary of the start of the Syrian Civil War. The Battle for Yabroud is part of a large offensive led by the Syrian regime and Hezbollah to secure the Qalamoun region along the Lebanese’s border with Syria. The offensive has been launched in order to cut rebel supply lines into Syria.

Government forces entered the town of Yabroud on Friday evening. On Saturday the regimes news agency said that “terrorist groups” in the town had been “devastated” by the regime’s fighters and that the area had been combed through for explosives. SANA reported on Sunday that “the Syrian army is now in full control of the town of Yabroud in Damascus [province] and are now combing through the city and dismantling the roadside bombs planted by terrorists.”

The Syrian regime launched its offensive in in mid-November of last year in order to force rebel fighters out of the Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border. As part of the offensive they have recaptured several towns formally held by rebel fighters including Qara, Deir Attiya and Nabak, to the north-east of Yabroud along the motorway that connects Damascus with the city of Homs, two of the country’s largest cities.

A fighter in Yabroud from Jabhat al-Nusra said that many of the rebels who fled the town were headed to nearby rebel controlled villages including Hosh Arab, Rankous and Flita. A Lebanese military source said that more than 1,000 fighters fled to the mountainous border area near the Lebanese town of Arsal, an area that has been a target of regime airstrikes in recent weeks. According to Ahmad Fliti, the vice mayor of Arsal, the Syrian Air Force launched two strikes on the outskirts of Arsal on Sunday.

More than 140,000 people have been during the three year fight for Syria’s future, a fight that began with peaceful street protests against the Assad regime, calling for democratic reforms, which turned violent after the regime began a violent crackdown on demonstrators and opponents of the regime.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Syrian Army Captures Strategic Border Town – 16 March 2014

BBC News – Syria ‘Recaptures Rebel Border Town Yabroud’ – 16 March 2014

The Guardian – Syria Claims to Have Captured Rebel Stronghold on Lebanese Border – 16 March 2014

The Washington Post – Syria Says Army and Hezbollah Have Seized Border Town – 16 March 2014